


Birth

by Youremyalways



Series: Promises verse [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Birth, Early Labor, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt!Sam, M!preg, M/M, Pregnant Sam Winchester, babydaddy!dean, caring!castiel, infant death followed by resurrection, labor, protective!Dean, sam winchester gives birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24934570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Youremyalways/pseuds/Youremyalways
Summary: Sam goes into labor.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Series: Promises verse [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784953
Comments: 4
Kudos: 273





	Birth

When Sam woke up to a throbbing pain in his lower abdomen, he figured it was Braxton Hicks again. He was still another nine weeks away from his due date, so that made the most sense. He stretched out and reached down to hold his stomach, wincing at the pain. 

He flicked his eyes open and was surprised to see he was on the couch, not in the bed. He blinked a few times and remembered lying down for a nap. That was around eleven. He moved his head so he could see the clock beneath the tv and widened his eyes when he saw the time read  _ 3:14pm. _ He’d been asleep for over four hours?! Why didn’t Dean wake him up? 

Sam moved to get up from the couch, but as he did, there was another sharp pain in his gut and he hissed and groaned as it powered through him in a wave. He squeezed his eyes shut and knitted his brows when it was over. The pain was still mild, but it was definitely more intense than last time. Granted, his pain radar was a bit off. Nothing even remotely compared to what Sam had endured before.

He remembered that walking had made it feel a bit better last time, so he got up and off the couch with a grunt and moved his feet slowly forward. One step at a time, he moved across the library, hissing every few seconds at the pressure in his lower back. He paced for about ten minutes and no more pain came, so he tilted his head and sighed in relief. Braxton Hicks didn’t usually last too long, they passed quickly, but he was still happy it was over. ‘Quickly’ was a relative term, afterall. 

He kept a hand planted to his stomach as he walked out of the library and into the hallway, slowly but steadily. It was still incredibly difficult to maneuver his very pregnant body. 

“Dean?” He called out in question when he entered the kitchen, and his brother wasn’t there. He knit his eyebrows in confusion and tried the bedroom instead, making his way further down the hallway.

“In here!” He heard come from a few doors down- the guest room that they had decided on serving as the nursery for their kid. 

It was the farthest room away from the main entrance, so in case anyone broke-in, they would have the longest run possible to get to their baby, and they would have to pass every other room on the way there, including both Sam and Dean’s bedrooms. The nursery was a bit smaller than Dean’s room. The walls were an off-white color and there were unfinished hardwood floors. Dean insisted on building the crib himself so he could etch every warding symbol they knew into the wood. Of course, Sam agreed. Nothing was too safe when it came to their child.

When Sam rounded the corner and reached the entrance to the nursery, he had to stop short because Dean was sitting right in the doorway. He hissed a bit at the jerking movement he had to make to stop himself from tripping over Dean, but it didn’t look like Dean heard it. His gaze was concentrated intensely on the floor. Sam peered down and saw that Dean had red paint on the knees of his jeans and a paintbrush in his hand. There was a freshly painted sigil on the floor right inside the doorway.

“More warding?” Sam asked, and just as he did, another wave of pain started spreading from his pelvis. He bit on the inside of his cheek to keep from making any noise that would give away his discomfort. It was worse this time, getting stronger as the seconds passed. This was different. This wasn’t braxton hicks. Shit… 

By the time Dean looked up, it had just barely passed.

“Can’t be too safe, Sammy.” He smiled, but then his expression faltered a bit when his gaze landed on Sam’s face. He looked Sam up and down and asked, “Are you okay? You look pale.”

Sam literally felt his brain short circuit. He hadn’t thought this far. Did he lie?

“Uh…” He swallowed, trying to figure out what to say. The worried look on Dean’s face when he dropped the paintbrush and stood up was enough to shut him up though. His brother approached him, placing a hand on either one of his shoulders and squeezing gently. His stance was wide to avoid stepping in the paint.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, and there was an urgency to his tone that completely undercut any desire Sam had to lie.

“I think that maybe…” He swallowed nervously, stuttering, “I think there may be a small… tiny… chance that,” And then he finished in one rushed out breath, “I might be in labor.”

Dean’s eyes went massive.

“What?!” He yelled and unknowingly squeezed Sam’s shoulders tighter. Sam flinched at his volume.

“I woke up… I had pain. It’s coming in waves. Nothing too bad, yet. I thought it was more false contractions at first, but… They’re too strong. I…” He breathed out, “I think I’m in labor.”

Dean’s face went from shocked (open mouth, wide eyes, shaking head), to excited (giant grin, dimples, lines by his eyes), to scared (dilated pupils, frown lines, parted lips) in a matter of seconds.

“Wait, wait, wait, but…” He looked down and squinted his eyes, clearly working through his thoughts. When he looked back up, the scared look was still on his face, “That’s too early. Sam, it’s not supposed to be for another nine weeks. At least!”

Sam felt his heartbeat hasten. He hadn’t even thought about all the complications of premature labor. The initial shock had blinded him to that. Crap, crap, crap… 

“Okay. Okay.” He breathed out, trying not to let the panic set in, “Well, maybe it is Braxton Hicks. I mean, they aren’t always consistent. It’s possible.”

Dean didn’t look convinced. He turned back to the nursery with a panicked expression and then took a step out of the room, taking Sam with him. He turned the lights off behind him and gently guided Sam down the hallway.

“Come on.” He instructed softly, holding onto the small of Sam’s back the entire way to the bedroom. Dean helped him sit down on the bed and grabbed a few pillows to support his back.

“I’m gonna call Cas.” Dean told him, maintaining eye contact. 

Sam nodded and leaned back into the pillows. 

Dean dialed the phone with shaky hands. Once it was calling, he put it on speakerphone and dropped it to the mattress so he could put both hands palm-down on Sam’s thighs. His eyes were still wide and there was sweat gathering at the dips of his neck and collarbones. Sam wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him so nervous. 

The third ring sounded out mere seconds before another wave came over Sam. He lurched forward a bit this time, the pain gripping not just at his guts, but at his lower back. It burned like- well, not like hell. 

He gasped and turned away from Dean, literally feeling himself paling even more. His body shook as he rode it out.

“Sam?!” Dean yelled, the fear and worry dripping from his words, “Hey, hey, hey, Sammy?!”

He reached up to grab his cheek and angled his face so that Sam could see him, “Sam?!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Sam dismissed his brother's worry as he grabbed onto Dean’s forearm and squeezed. It ended in seconds, and Sam leaned back with a groan. He released Dean’s forearm and only then became aware of another voice in the room.

_ “Hello?! Dean?” _

Dean looked like he was in shock, his face pale and eyes downcast. His mouth was stuck open. It was clear he couldn’t hear Cas. So, Sam spoke.

“Cas-”

But then Dean was cutting him off, his voice urgent and desperate, “Cas, get here  _ now _ , you hear me?!”

There was no saying ‘no’ to that. That was the kind of threat that ended with a dead man on the other end. It was clear by his urgency that Dean was scared beyond scared. And that was one of the only things in the world that scared Sam. When Dean showed fear, it was typically an extreme scenario. He bottled that shit up.

_ “On my way.” _ Cas said simply before ending the call.

Dean knelt down in front of Sam, raking over him with his eyes.

“It’s okay.” Sam swallowed, “We knew this was coming.”

Dean shook his head, voice still dripping with fear, “No, no, no. We knew this was coming  _ nine weeks from now _ . We aren’t prepared for it now! Sam, this is premature labor! The risks are way higher! The chances of miscarriage are way higher! I mean-”

Sam cut off his ranting with a harsh yell, “ _ Shut up! _ Dean, shut the hell up!”

His body was burning with heat, heart pounding and eyes watering. He couldn’t think about the increased risks of going into labor early. He couldn’t. The second he thought about those, he would delve into a panic attack and that couldn’t happen. Those thoughts had to be stored far,  _ far  _ away.

Dean jerked his head back in surprise at Sam’s outburst, but then there was a cloud of guilt that completely overtook his features. 

“Oh God, Sam, I’m sorry.” Dean apologized, squeezing Sam’s thigh in comfort, “I’m just scared. I don’t know how to do any of this. But I shouldn’t have-”

“Oh my  _ God _ .” Sam groaned out loud, throwing his head back in annoyance before looking at Dean with a leveled gaze. He was so not in the headspace to talk Dean through his feelings and tell him that it would all be okay. He wanted to punch something, for fuck’s sake. He couldn’t stop himself from scolding, “I am  _ so  _ not in the mood for that shit. Just…  _ shut up _ , Dean.”

Dean closed his mouth and swallowed, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing in his throat. He looked somewhat offended, but more guilty and surprised than anything. Sam couldn’t bring himself to care enough to apologize. Screw that. 

The next contraction wasn’t bad at all. It was low in his abdomen, and it was more of an ache than a pain. He barely reacted to it. They were still very far apart, and active labor wouldn't be for a long time. His water hadn’t even broken yet. 

“Well, can I get you anything? Water, or tea…” Dean asked hesitantly.

And Sweet Jesus, Sam loved his brother with everything in him, but he did not think he could survive hours of Dean’s mother-henning. So sending him away to make some tea was a good plan. Let himself escape from the inevitable smothering.

“Tea’s good.” He responded quietly, knowing he probably wouldn’t drink it.

Dean nodded, and there was a relief in his eyes. He liked feeling helpful.

“Okay. I’ll grab the hot plate and the kettle so I can make it in here. I’ll only be gone a second.” He said with a nervous smile, standing up from the ground.

“For the love of…” Sam growled in frustration before commanding, “Make it in the damn kitchen! Labor lasts hours, Dean. Sometimes as much as a day, or  _ longer _ . Stop mother henning me. It’s not even  _ near  _ the worst of it, yet. I can handle it. Go.”

Dean didn’t even respond. He just ducked his head down and scoffed a bit before walking out of the room. Sam wished he could say he felt guilty, but God, he didn’t feel bad at all. Maybe it was the hormones or the anticipation. But fuck all, he couldn’t care less.

Three more contractions rolled through by the time Cas walked in the door, Dean trailing right behind him with a big mug in hand. 

Cas sat down beside him and looked at him with an unreadable gaze.

“How are you feeling, Sam?” He asked softly, kindly. He rolled up his sleeves and positioned himself better. Dean hovered by the door.

“Fine right now.” He answered honestly, swallowing before adding, “A little worried about the timing.” 

Cas nodded, “You’re nine weeks early. There are increased risks. But it’s completely possible that everything will be okay. I will make sure that it is.”

Sam nodded and offered a genuine, “Thank you, Cas.” 

The angel nodded and then asked, “May I?” 

Sam nodded and then Cas was placing his hands on his stomach and back, checking him over. He was quiet as he moved and Dean took the chance to walk into the room completely, holding the mug out to Sam.

He accepted it gratefully and went to take a sip. It hit his tongue and he furrowed his brows. It was not peppermint.

“What kind is this?” He asked skeptically, eyeing Dean.

Dean hesitated before explaining, “The peppermint was gone. That’s the green kind, I thought you liked it.” 

Sam’s eyes widened and he did something he would regret later. He spit the mouthful of tea back into the mug and shoved it back at Dean. It was mean. It wasn’t cool. But his emotions were so intense and heightened that he couldn’t control himself.

“Dean, that’s caffeinated!” He scolded, rubbing a hand over his face, “I can’t drink that!” 

Dean shrunk back a little, taking the mug back and leaving the room with a mumbled, “Sorry.” 

Sam hated this waiting game.  _ Hated  _ it. 

He just had to sit there and wait for the pain to hit.

“You know,” Cas’ voice suddenly came through, and it was soft and hesitant, yet sincere, “He’s only trying to help. This is very hard for him too.” 

Sam bit the inside of his cheek. He took a deep breath and acknowledged quietly, “I know. I just… I can’t deal with the smothering right now. I just want to focus.” 

Cas nodded in understanding. 

He was in the middle of helping Sam breathe through another contraction when Dean walked back in, this time with a tall glass of water in each hand. His face broke into worry when he saw that Sam was in the midst of a contraction, and he immediately raced forward to comfort Sam, but he stopped dead in his tracks a few feet away. It was as if he thought Sam didn’t want him close. 

Sam felt his heart shatter. He hadn’t meant to push him aware or scare him. He didn’t want Dean to feel uncomfortable or unwanted around him. Not ever, but  _ especially _ not right now. 

“It’s okay.” Sam called, reaching a hand out shakily and making a little grabbing motion, “I’m sorry… ah…” He broke off as the pain intensified, “It’s okay.” 

Dean immediately put the waters down on the table and took Sam’s outstretched hand in his own, squeezing it in comfort. He moved forward and sat down beside Sam, still not getting too close. Their only point of contact was their hands.

When the contraction subsided, he nodded at Cas to tell him so. The angel nodded back. 

Dean swallowed uneasily and spoke after a moment, “I got you water. I didn’t know if you’d want cold or room temp, so I grabbed both. You don’t have to drink it, now, though. I just figured…” 

Dean trailed off when Sam squeezed his hand.

“Thank you.” He whispered, trying to convey at least a bit of an apology in there, “I… I’m sorry for biting your head off.” 

Dean shrugged and immediately shot the apology down, “Don’t apologize. Until this is over, you get a free pass on bitchiness and complaining. Not that you were being bitchy or complaining…” 

Sam laughed a bit, “I was.” 

Dean gave him a little smile, but it was obvious that normalcy was a far cry away from them. There was still serious worry etched into both of their words and expressions. 

Cas cleared his throat before speaking, “Sam, now is a good time to check how dilated you are. Lying back will be beneficial. Dean can help you take your pants and boxers off.” 

Sam’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry?”

Cas looked at him with an amused, closed-mouth smile.

“Sam, I am an angel. This is purely anatomy to me. Whatever emotions humans tie to genitalia -arousal, humiliation, or otherwise- I assure you I’m not capable of those feelings. This is strictly biology. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, and it’s certainly nothing Dean hasn’t seen before. Just relax.” 

Dean squeezed his hand to emphasize the angel’s words and then Sam was nodding. He let Dean rearrange the pillows and laid back against them when he finished. Then Dean went to take his pants off and Sam raised good hips to make it easier on him. 

“You good?” Dean asked once his bottom half was exposed and he was laying down.

Sam nodded, and then Dean started to move towards Cas at the end of the bed, but Sam grabbed his bicep to stop him. Dean turned around, confused.

“What?” He asked, eyeing Sam.

“Stay up here.” Sam answered quietly, almost shamefully. There was nothing down there Dean hadn’t seen (or enjoyed) before, but he didn’t know exactly how his body would morph and resize to accommodate birth, and he just felt more comfortable with Dean up north. He added, “Please.”

Dean nodded immediately and sat down on the bed next to Sam’s head, reaching over to wipe some hair out of his face, “Whatever you want.”

“Alright. It’s gonna be cold for a second.” Cas announced and Sam took a deep breath. Dean squeezed his hand.

Sam took in a sharp breath when he felt a gloved finger right at his hole. It was so… clinical. 

“You’ve still got a ways to go.” Cas told him, “You’re barely dilated, and your water is still intact. You should both settle in for the long haul. I suggest finding something distracting.” 

Sam could tell that Dean was looking at him, so he turned to meet his gaze. Silently, they exchanged conversation. 

_ It’s gonna be okay. We can be patient. We’re in this together. _

“We uh…” Dean started, looking at Sam the whole time, “We still have some episodes of Black Mirror. You want to watch some tv?” 

Sam couldn’t think of a better idea.

“Yeah, sure.” He agreed, but then thought better of it, “Only on one condition, though.”

Dean raised a brow, “And what’s that?” 

Sam smirked, “You move your butt up the bed and let me lean on you.” 

Dean did his best to hide a smile.

“I guess that’s a sacrifice I’ll just have to make.” 

Sam smiled and hit him playfully on the arm before tilting his head in a gesture to the bed, “Come on.”

Dean did smile then as he slipped his shoes off and slid up the bed. He leaned against the pillows and headboard so that while his lower body was flat, his upper body remained mostly upright. He then pulled Sam towards him so that Sam’s back was leaning against his chest and he could wrap an arm around his shoulders. Sam rested his head back on Dean’s shoulder and sighed.

Cas interrupted, “Sam, I need you to keep your legs open for me. Or at least ready to open, so I can monitor. I also want you to start measuring your pain on a scale of 1-10 when the contractions come. Putting on the tv isn’t an issue. Let me know if there’s anything either of you need. Neither of you should have to get up for anything, okay?” 

Sam and Dean looked at their friend gratefully.

“You got it, buddy.” Dean acknowledged as he reached for the remote, “Thank you for being here.” 

Cas nodded, “It’s my honor.”

After that, they did indeed settle in for the long haul. They got through three episodes of black mirror and multiple more contractions sitting like that, but when the fourth episode started to play and Cas told them there still hadn’t been much progress regarding dilation, Sam had enough. He wanted to try something different. 

“You know, I saw online somewhere that walking around can help speed up the process.” He said out loud, testing the waters. Half of him thought that Dean would immediately shut that idea down.

And surely enough, Dean started in, “That doesn’t seem like a great idea. What if one hits while you’re standing? You could fall.”

Before Sam could gather his thoughts enough to retort, Cas jumped in.

“Sam’s correct, actually. Walking is proven to help. And he won’t fall because neither of us will let that happen.” 

The conviction in his voice made Sam smile. This may be a long day laced in agony, but he couldn’t be doing it surrounded by better people.

Dean bit his lip but reluctantly agreed, “Fine. But if anything happens-”

“I’ll tell you immediately.” Sam agreed before Dean even finished, “Promise.” 

Dean nodded and then he helped Sam pulled his boxers back on. After they were snug around his waist, he and Cas moved to the side of the bed and held their hands out to Sam, who really didn’t like needing this much help. But he knew this was what had to be done, so he sucked it up and allowed his brother and friend to help him upright. The weight of his belly made him hunch forward a bit and he hissed a little as the pressure increased on his feet and spine. Dean looked at him in question, but Sam just nodded to brush off his concern.

“Okay. We’ll just walk around the room. Slow.” Cas instructed, wrapping an arm around Sam’s lower back while Dean held onto his hip with one hand and his shoulder with the other. 

They did half a lap before Sam froze in place and reached out to grip Dean’s forearm. He took in a shaky breath as his abdomen tightened up and convulsed, the pain ricocheting from his pelvis to the base of his spine.

“Contraction?” Dean asked, although he already knew the answer. Sam nodded.

“No need to panic. We’ll hold you up.” Cas looked between the brothers, “Let go of your weight if you need to. Just stand still for as long as it takes.” 

Sam nodded again and closed his eyes as he breathed through it, shaking a bit, but doing his best to hold his own weight. He didn’t want to put more pressure on Cas and Dean. His breaths were pushed out and audible as the wave rolled through him. When it finished a handful of seconds later, he nodded.

“Okay, it’s over.” He sighed, “We can move.” 

They both nodded and hesitated for a moment, but then they were walking again. Painfully slow.

“Sam, 1-10?” Cas asked, like he had after very contraction for the past few hours. So far Sam hadn’t gone above 3.

“Still pretty mild.” He announced, trying to focus on his steps, “3.”

Cas nodded, “An average person would probably be around a 5 or 6 at this point. With your pain tolerance, a 3 seems like an accurate rating. You’re doing well, Sam.” 

Sam nodded and breathed out as they took a corner.

After another couple laps, Cas tapped Sam’s shoulder and looked at Dean as he instructed, “We should lie him back down. Check progress.” 

Both Sam and Dean nodded and then they were getting settled back down on the bed. Dean got behind Sam again and let his brother lean on him while Cas pulled his boxers back off and patted his thigh with a hand to urge him to spread his legs. 

Cas pulled a glove on and looked down. 

“Okay, we’re getting somewhere, Sam.” Cas encouraged, and then his cold finger was on his skin, “You’re definitely progressing. Around 3 centimeters.”

Sam groaned. That didn’t sound like a lot.

“What was it before?” He asked, hoping for a much smaller number. 

Cas tilted his head before answering, “About 2.” 

Sam leaned his head back onto Dean’s shoulder and whined, “This is taking  _ forever _ !” 

Cas laughed a tiny bit before straightening out his expression and body and urging, “Patience, Sam.”

And patience was the key word, because it was another episode and a half of Black Mirror finished before his water  _ finally _ broke. 

His entire body tightened up when he felt the rush go through him, and there was a split second where he thought he was peeing, but nope… thankfully Cas had already laid a bunch of towels down, expecting it to happen soon. 

“Okay, there’s the water.” Cas announced as if Sam didn’t already know.

Sam could feel Dean’s heart beating rapidly where his shoulder was pressed to his chest. He tried his damn hardest to ignore it. 

“You’re just over four centimeters. Things should move faster from here. Contractions will probably become more painful now. Keep ranking them 1-10 for me, okay?” 

He made eye contact with Sam until he agreed to make sure he heard every word. Sam nodded and swallowed down the worry to answer, “Yes. Got it.” 

He felt Dean tighten his arm over his shoulders and pull him a little closer. 

About twenty seconds later, a contraction hit. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the pain to increase, but it felt exactly the same as the ones prior. He opened his eyes and furrowed his brows in confusion.

“2.” He answered easily.

Dean jerked his head back a little in surprise, but there was a bit of relief to the gesture as well. 

“Really?” He asked, to which Sam shrugged.

“Okay.” Dean puffed his bottom lip out, not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Another handful of minutes passed.

“Five centimeters.” Cas announced.

Sam nodded and then started asking, “How many is it supposed to get u…”

Sam stopped his own sentence when he felt pressure build up in his torso. His lower back was slowly beginning to seize up. Sam furrowed his brows. This felt different. His heart beat grew more rapid as a bad feeling sunk in. There was something about the pressure that sent alarms off in Sam’s brain. Something that told him ‘this is gonna be a big one’. It was the tide pulling into the ocean, ready to collect into a massive wave. He grabbed Dean’s hand and gave him a warning glance.

“It’s gonna be a bad one.” He let out in one breath, looking at Dean with panic in his eyes. 

Dean only looked like a deer in headlights for a few seconds before he nodded frantically and grabbed Sam’s other hand, squeezing both as he comforted, “Okay. I’m right here the whole time.  _ The whole time _ . It’ll be okay.” 

Sam didn’t have a chance to nod because suddenly his insides were  _ burning _ . It felt like the muscles in his abdomen were twisting harder and harder by the second. It was the first time Sam had vocalized anything more than a groan during the labor process. He let out a whine that he would be embarrassed about under any other circumstances. 

Cas was telling him to breathe, but he could barely hear. All he could do was squeeze Dean’s hand until it slowly subsided. He let out a gasp when it was over and released Dean’s hand. 

“Shit.” Dean mumbled, voice taken aback. He was probably just starting to realize that the worst was yet to come. 

Sam relaxed against Dean before swallowing and trying to think of a number. It was definitely more than a 3, but he had trouble sticking to a single digit. 

Speaking softly, he announced, “Cas… 5.”

He was saving his higher numbers. He knew they would be needed later on. 

No matter what, nothing he experienced today or ever again could go anywhere near a 10 or even a 9. That was impossible. There were things Lucifer did that… nothing could ever compare to them.  _ Nothing. _

“That was a five?” Cas asked, eyebrows pulled together, a bit surprised.

Sam shrugged, “Yeah. Why?”

Cas shook his head a bit, “That was the first major contraction. I figured… I figured the number would be higher. Remember not to lie, okay? Nobody here will judge you for being in pain. Complete honesty.” 

Sam jerked his head forward a little, not loving the accusation.

“I’m not lying.” He insisted, “That was the worst one yet, for sure, but I’m not reaching above a 5 yet. When I do, I’ll let you know.” 

Cas looked back down and Sam could see it on his face that he wasn’t fully convinced, but he put it to bed for now and Sam was grateful for that. 

Six more minutes and he froze up again. 

And man, if he thought the last one was bad… 

He had to bite down on his lip to keep from shouting out. The pain was like having his insides twisted, pulled, and squeezed. This was the first time he tried to fight it, squirming around like the movement would help, but it only made it worse. Once he surrendered and accepted the pain, it was more bearable. It was like getting caught in the undertow of a wave- you can either fight it and get more scared or you can let go and wait until it releases you. There was an intense searing pain in his lower back that made it all the worse.

“Fuck!” He shouted, writhing against Dean and holding back his cries. 

His brother held him tight and was telling him things that Sam couldn’t hear. But when a hand landed on his lower back and started rubbing there, Sam sighed in relief. Through the pain he gasped out, “Keep doing that!”

This was by far the longest. It felt like his abdomen was trying to squeeze out all its contents, not just the baby. It was so fucking tight and it just kept getting worse and worse before suddenly it just dropped off.

Sam collapsed back against Dean, a layer of sweat now coating his forehead, he cursed under his breath. Dean was saying something, and his eyes were panicked and wide, but Sam’s ears were ringing. 

“Water.” He asked quietly, licking his lips.

Dean immediately grabbed one of the glasses off the nightstand and held it up for Sam to sip out of. Cold or warm, he didn’t care. He didn’t even really notice. 

He was halfway through the glass when he pulled away, had enough. 

“Are you okay?” Dean asked as he put it down, and there were tears in his voice and down his cheeks. Fuck, Sam didn’t know who this was harder for. 

He nodded as he swallowed and looked down at Cas, who was staring up at him expectantly. 

“7.” He replied before throwing his head back and closing his eyes. He breathed in and out for a few minutes before turning to Dean.

“De… Your hand on my back.” He swallowed, “That helped.” 

Dean raised his brows a bit and immediately told him, “Consider it glued to you, then.” 

Sam smiled as much as he could manage. 

The contractions grew more consistent over the next span of hours. The distance was boiling down to less than ten minutes consistently, and the dilation was ‘progressing nicely’ as Cas said. 

And God, if he could have had the pain once an hour or even once every 15 minutes, he’d have been able to tolerate it. But the fact that just as soon as he got through one contraction another was coming, that's what wore him down. 

It felt like someone had taken ahold of his insides and was wringing them out like a wet dishrag. It felt like his whole pelvis was made of breaking glass.

The pain was so bad that in the middle of one contraction he closed his eyes and imagined that he walked away from his body. He tried to picture himself sitting in baby, just watching the road. Of course, that didn't work and his next thought was of what he wouldn’t give to escape the agony. But that wasn’t an option. And he would never truly consider it anyway.

Dean was with him through all of it, grasping at him, kissing his face, rubbing his back. He kept reassuring him and telling him little comforting things, but those words almost always got bogged down in Sam’s mind. He was just grateful for the physical contact. 

When Cas finally announced he was almost at 10 centimeters, it was over sixteen hours into labor. 

“Okay. Sam, you’re going to feel the desire to push. When the next contraction comes, you’re gonna bear down. Got it?”

Sam nodded frantically and squirmed around a bit in anticipation. Dean brought a cold washcloth up to his face and dabbed at his forehead and cheeks.

“I love you.” He whispered for the thousandth time in the last sixteen hours before pressing a kiss to Sam’s cheek. 

Sam nodded, not having it in him to respond. He didn’t think he could speak if he tried. 

When the next contraction hit, all he could say was that he knew he had to push. Even if Cas hadn’t told him. It was overwhelming. He yelled out as he bore down, clutching Dean’s hand so hard it would leave damage. He could feel every stretch, pull, and tear as it rifled through his body. The pain was intense and horrible, twisting in a way he’d never experienced. 

The next one came less than six minutes later, and this time Sam felt a bit of relief in pushing. It felt like he could finally do something. It gave him control. Relief. Purpose.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” He screamed out and thrashed against Dean on the third contraction in twenty minutes. It felt like his hips were being pulled apart.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” Dean was repeating over and over in his ear, his voice desperate and broken, “It’ll be over soon. It’ll all be over.”

Sam was a freaking monster hunter for a living, but labor was by far the hardest physical activity he had ever done. 

He was trying his damndest to hold onto the fact that he was giving birth. There was a baby on the other end of this. If he could just make it through the last little part, he would get to meet the wonderful little person he had dreamed about for so long.

But God… pushing was the worst. The burn was like no other.

Movies made it seem like it lasted a few minutes and then it was done, but once Sam reached an hour of pushing, he wanted to write a bad review for every movie out there that euphemized labor. Fuck, was it long!

The next one was so bad it was hard to breathe. It was like his body was one big leg cramp, like he was a towel being twisted and curled in half. He pushed with everything he could. Surely they had to be getting close by now… 

“You’re doing so good, baby, so good.” Dean squeezed his hand, nuzzling his nose into Sam’s temple. His voice was bleeding fear and worry, his breaths hitched and uneven. Sam could feel the wetness of Dean’s tears mixing with the sweat on his forehead. 

He knew deep in his soul that there was nothing in this world Dean wouldn’t trade in order to switch places with Sam right now. He would take his pain in a second if given the chance. Sam would acknowledge that fact and tell his brother how much it meant to him if it didn’t feel like he was trying to push a watermelon out of a pen hole right now. 

“It’ll all be worth it,” Dean assured as he ran his thumb over Sam’s knuckles, holding his brother close, “I promise it’ll all be worth it.” 

Sam felt like screaming his lungs out. How would Dean know?! He wasn’t the one being shredded apart from the inside out! God, he was trying so hard to keep a handle on his emotions, but the pain was overriding any rationale he once had. It felt like someone was reaching inside of him and pulling his guts out with their bare hands. Like being ripped rather than cut. So intense that if he didn't know it would be over when the baby was born, he’d be begging Dean to just shoot him.

“It’s so bad,” He started in a sob and then another contraction hit and he squinted his eyes shut and broke into an agonized scream, “It’s so fucking bad!” 

He was squeezing Dean’s hand so hard it was probably hurting his brother, but he couldn’t bring himself to care or even be aware of that fact. And Dean wouldn’t  _ dare _ complain about pain right now.

“Cas?!” Dean yelled in question, dread and desperation in his tone as he continued to grasp Sam’s hand and hold his shoulders.

“It’s still gonna be a while, Dean. The baby hasn’t crowned yet.” The angel responded and Sam slammed his head back against the pillow with a sob. Dean let out a similar frustrated sound and he leaned his body back with Sam’s, not willing to let any skin contact he had with him go. 

“I can’t do this.” Sam whimpered against Dean’s chest, tears falling. His entire body felt like it was on fire.

Dean swept a thumb over Sam’s cheek to wipe the tears away, “No, no, no. You got this, Sam. You’re  _ incredible _ . I believe in you so fucking much it’s ridiculous. You’re strong enough to do this. We’re almost there.” 

Sam whimpered and then another contraction hit and he just let himself cry through it. He pushed as hard as he could, but it hurt so freaking bad. Dean pressed his lips to Sam’s shoulder and kissed him through it, rubbing at his back and whispering about how much he loved him.

It was another hour before Cas called out, “Okay, okay. It’s crowning!” 

Sam knew before Cas said anything because he could  _ feel _ it. Immediately, he just thought there was no way he could push the baby out, it wouldn’t fit. It burned like a damn ring of fire. The skin pulled and his ass was literally red hot with agony. The pain was everywhere. His back. His ass. His abdomen. Even his head was killing now. 

“Oh my God,” He groaned loudly and turned his face into Dean’s chest.

“Dean… Dean… Dean…” He repeated his brother’s name like a mantra as he sobbed with the agony. 

Maybe he was reminding himself that Dean was there. Maybe he was trying to say something more. Maybe it was something else entirely.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Dean whispered back, wiping hair out of his face, “It’s the homestretch, baby. You are kicking ass. I love you so much. So, so, so much.” 

“Push, Sam, push!” 

He heard Cas interrupt his brother and he literally launched upwards off of Dean and screamed out loud as the fire exploded in his abdomen. He pushed as hard as he could, and then collapsed backwards when it was over. Dean caught him with gentle hands. 

He breathed harshly as he waited for the next one. But now there was a consistent burning sensation that didn’t go away, contraction or not. He thrashed back and forth on the bed, whimpering away. 

“The head is partially out. Sam, you’re doing well. Keep going.” Cas encouraged with a nod. 

The next contraction, Dean helped him sit up a bit. He choked on a moan and cried out as it racked through his body. He felt his asshole expand and it  _ burned _ . There was no other word for it. His abdomen was in shreds. 

“One more push and the head will be out.” Cas told them both, his hands outstretched by Sam’s hole in a soup-holding position, ready to catch. 

On the next contraction, there was a new pain. Alongside the rest of it, of course. As he felt the head exit his body, he felt his ass literally rip. Slice open. Cas cursed under his breath, too. 

“What?!” Dean yelled anxiously, not aware of the problem. 

“The baby’s head tore him. It’s okay. We’ll just have to do some stitches after.”

Dean was about to reply, but then Sam was writhing and screaming and pushing yet again, cutting him off. 

He didn’t know how much time passed before Cas was announcing that it was just one more push and the baby would be free. When the contraction hit, Sam pushed with every ounce of strength he had, screaming out as Dean clutched him. It hurt like hell, but he felt immediate relief when it was over. 

“Congratulations, guys.” Cas announced with a giant smile as he cut the umbilical cord and gently took the newborn into his arms, “You’ve got a baby girl.” 

Sam felt his eyes water and euphoria flood his entire body, but it was quickly overshadowed by the first thing out of Dean’s mouth. 

“Why isn’t she crying?” 

Immediately high alert kicked into all three of them. Cas touched her little chest. Sam leaned up to see her and drew in a shocked breath at how tiny she was. Couldn’t be more than 3 pounds. He remembered seeing online that the average newborn was around 7 or 8 pounds. He felt the fear set in.

“She’s so small.” Sam whispered, and the implications of that made his heart rate triple. No, no, no… 

“Too small.” Dean agreed with a hollow, cracked voice.

“Cas…” Sam whispered breathlessly, dreadfully.

“She’s not breathing.” The angel told them, a sudden urgency to his tone.

Both of them visibly shattered. Shoulders sank. Tears poured. Pleas vocalized. 

Until Cas put two fingers to her tiny little forehead and there was a little spark of light before she was wailing out loud. Sam sobbed when he heard the sound. He leaned back against Dean in relief and horror. The entirety of labor wasn’t as horrible as those few seconds of grief. 

“She’s okay, Sammy.” Dean smiled wetly, leaning down to kiss Sam’s sweaty forehead. He didn’t know which one of them he was trying to convince, “She’s okay.” 

After a few seconds, San felt another, milder contraction roll through his body. He hissed a bit and tensed his body.

“Dean, take her. Clean her up.” Cas instructed, looking at the older Winchester, “Sam still has work to do.” 

Dean immediately got up, helping Sam readjust against the pillows before walking over to Cas. His eyes widened and watered as he approached their little girl. He kneeled down beside Cas and the angel gingerly transferred the crying baby into Dean’s waiting arms. Dean’s face lit up. He smiled down at the baby as he stood up.

Sam felt fresh tears fall as he watched Dean stare down at their baby -who was still covered in blood and grime, but never more beautiful. His heart swelled at the sight. And God, she looked even tinier in Dean’s arms, so small and fragile.

“Well, hello there.” He heard Dean whisper to their child as he rocked her back and forth, “Come on, we’ll go get you cleaned up and then we’ll bring you right back to daddy, how’s that?” 

The baby was still wailing, but Dean held her close to his chest and walked toward the doorway. He went to say goodbye to Sam, but there was another contraction right as he went to speak. Sam winced and hissed through it. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the ones prior, but it certainly didn’t feel good.

“Cas?” Dean asked when he saw Sam was still experiencing labor pains, worry in his eyes.

“He has to push out the afterbirth. It’s all normal. Take care of the baby, Dean.” Cas told him back.

Sam gave Dean a nod to confirm it was indeed okay for him to leave, and then Dean was out the door. Sam heard the cries get farther away and he felt a pang in his chest. He didn’t want his baby away from him. He already missed her.

Cas pushed on his stomach a bit and within ten minutes, the placenta was sliding out of his body and he was done. He breathed out in relief and relaxed back.

“Okay, now I just got to stitch you up, and then we’re done. You did amazing, Sam.” 

Sam couldn’t even bring himself to nod. He was exhausted. And he had forgotten about the stupid stitches. 

Dean walked back into the room, this time with the baby clean and silently sucking at the top of his pinkie, right as Cas was about to start stitching.

“How’s it going in here?” He whispered, rocking on his feet.

Before Sam could, Cas responded, “Good. I’m just going to stitch him up now, and then we should be done.” 

Dean nodded and shushed the baby a bit when she started stirring. Sam stared up at her longingly. He wanted to hold her so bad. It actually hurt in his heart to not have her in his arms after everything he just went through. He was on the verge of tears.

“Dean.” Cas called after a second and Dean turned to him with an expectant look. The angel gestured to Sam and instructed, “Give her to Sam.” 

Dean knit his brows and frowned, “I’ve only held her for a few minutes. Sam still has to get stitched, he can’t sit still during that.” 

Cas narrowed his gaze a bit and repeated more firmly, “Dean, give her to Sam.” 

Sam looked between the two people in confusion and curiosity.

“I thought you had to stitch him up.” Dean said.

“Dean, your brother just went through nineteen hours of labor. Let him hold the freaking baby.” The angel commanded.

Guilt took over Dean’s face. He swallowed and sat down on the bed by Sam’s head. Slowly and gingerly, he transferred the baby into Sam’s open arms. The taller Winchester cried silently as he held her close, his hand taking up the entire length of her back. He watched with teary eyes as she snuggled into his chest and let out a little cry when she made a soft little humming noise. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. When she looked up at him, he could see she had deep hazel eyes. When he looked into those beautiful irises for the first time, he knew he would go through labor ten more times if it meant he got to have this moment. Have this little one in his arms. 

“Sam, I’m gonna start.” Cas announced, and Sam just barely nodded, so not thinking clearly.

When the needle sank into his taint for the first time, Sam hissed in pain, but he kept his arms and chest still so as to not disturb the baby. 

Dean slid into the bed next to Sam and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him tight to his chest. He rested his chin on his shoulder so he could look at their baby.

“You were incredible.” Dean whispered as he planted a soft kiss to Sam’s shoulder, “And she’s perfect.”

Sam continued to tense as Cas stitched him down there, but he responded sweetly, “She is.”

“I don’t know how you did it.” Dean whispered again, and his voice was awestruck. He gently moved his hand to rest over Sam’s where it laid on their baby’s back.

Sam laughed a little bit, “Neither do I.” 

“You mean the world to me, Sam.” Dean said seriously, tucking his chin further into his shoulder. 

Sam felt his heart flutter. There was a needle going in and out of his ass, and yet Dean still found a way to make him feel amazing. 

“Kiss me.” He begged Dean breathlessly, needing the contact and moreover, the love.

Dean immediately complied, leaning in to press their lips together. Sam’s mouth was salty from all the tears and the sweat, but neither of them could care less. Dean stroked Sam’s hair gently as he kissed him, humming contently at the feeling. They were finally out from underneath the wave and now they were just floating. 

Cas finished stitching Sam in a little under fifteen minutes, with twenty-two stitches in a line both above and beneath his hole, where the skin was torn open. Any other day, Sam would say it was painful. But not after labor. Not today. 

As Cas put away the needle and sutures, he looked up at the brothers. With a small grunt, he stood up and flicked his fingers once. And then the mess was gone. All the blood and gore that was all over Sam’s legs, the towels, and Cas’ hands, was gone. Before Dean or Sam could react, he was speaking again. 

“Sam, it’s gonna be very uncomfortable for a few weeks. Your body needs to recover. I suggest staying off your feet for at least the first few days, and try to elevate your hips. I would advise strongly against sex for at least a few weeks. If you tear again, it will be excruciating. You’ll probably not want to anyway, as you’ll be having a lot of pain as residual from the event your body just went through. I recommend icing the area often. You might notice some bleeding. That’s normal.”

“Cas, not to push our luck, but… can’t you just heal him?” Dean asked hesitantly.

Cas sighed.

“I wish I could. But…” He waved his hands towards his body in a gesture, “I’m drained. Saving the baby took everything I had. Cleaning up the blood didn’t take much work, but healing is intricate and exhausting. I don’t have the power. I  _ am _ sorry.” 

“That’s okay, Cas.” Sam answered with a small smile, rocking his arms back and forth a bit and looking down at the baby in his arms, “You did more than enough. We’ll never be able to pay back the debt we owe to you.” 

Cas shook his head before brushing off, “You don’t owe my anything. It was a privilege to assist.” 

Dean added, “Well, thank you.” 

Cas nodded once, “I should leave you two, or rather three, alone. I’m a phonecall away if you need me.”

Sam nodded and looked back down at their girl. Dean reached out to squeeze Cas’ shoulder in a silent thank you, and then the angel was walking out the door. Not five minutes later, they heard footsteps climbing the stairs and the slam of the heavy bunker door closing. 

Sam leaned his head back against Dean and sighed contently.

Dean pressed a kiss to his forehead before asking, “Is there anything I can get you? Water, something to eat, pain medicine…” 

Sam thought about it for a moment. The only thing he really wanted was to shower -get all the sweat off of him. But that wasn’t super viable, he was in no position to stand up, let alone walk to the bathroom and stay on his feet long enough to shower. 

“I just feel really gross and sweaty.” He told Dean, “No way I can shower, though. Other than that, I think I’m okay for now.” 

Dean nodded and took a few moments to think before saying aloud, “I could get some washcloths. Do a little spongebath?” 

Sam grimaced at first. He didn’t like feeling this helpless. But… it sounded good. 

“Hey,” Dean called before Sam could even respond, reading the expression on his face, “There’s absolutely no shame in this.”

Sam nodded as Dean slid out from behind him.

“Two seconds.” Dean told him before leaving the room.

Sam sighed and looked down at the little one in his arms. He smiled widely and poked her tiny nose with his pinkie. 

In a few minutes, Dean would help wash him off, and Sam would probably start to breastfeed the baby. But for right now, he enjoyed the peace. Enjoyed the pride. He was the reason this baby was here. He did that. And no matter what, he would love her. 

Forever and always. 

Hell or high water.

**Author's Note:**

> Only one more part of the promises verse after this, and then I’m working on a sequel that will take place a few years after this story :D
> 
> Thank you for reading, you’re awesome :)
> 
> Keep any comments nice please!
> 
> Xoxo


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